proverb · Words worth keeping
Cold of complexion, good of condition.
Cold of complexion, good of condition.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying pairs a cold complexion with good condition. It gives a favourable judgment to one described quality without explaining the criterion or setting.
Example
A reader asks what complexion and condition mean in the setting before using the phrase to judge a person.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The two short descriptions make the connection sound settled, while complexion may be an unfamiliar historical term in this context. A responsible reading does not invent a temperament system, diagnosis or bodily mechanism. It identifies the stated favourable association and the missing explanation, allowing the source’s brevity to remain visible.
When to use it
Use it to examine an unexplained favourable association in older wording.
Keep in mind
The terms’ precise intended sense and any health relationship are not independently established here.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English